Sir, – Gordon Barrett writes that pedestrians and cyclists need to start practising defensive behaviour on the road. Instead of asking drivers to slow down and pay attention, we should as pedestrians be constantly vigilant (Letters, November 3rd). No such thing as a relaxing leisurely walk anymore – leisure is only for those in the warm, welcome comfort of a vehicle interior.
Per Garda statistics, there have been 163 people killed on Irish roads so far in 2023, 115, or 71 per cent, of which were drivers, passengers, or motor cyclists. The remaining 29 per cent (pedestrians, e-scooter users and pedal cyclists) do not go into specifics, but judging by news reports, I would wager the majority of these deaths involved being struck by a motorist too.
Every one of these deaths was a person, with a family, with friends, with a life. The majority of them were involving vehicles and drivers. If we want to reduce road deaths, we have to fix driver behaviour, not ask pedestrians and cyclists to shoulder even more responsibility. The RSA and the Garda need to work together and take better action here, because it could be any of us the next time we step outside our homes to walk, cycle or drive. Do not accept that the responsibility should lie with the most vulnerable road users – it needs to sit with those that can (and do) cause the most damage. – Yours, etc,
Dr MARIA O’BRIEN,
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Bayside,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – A letter correctly observing that pedestrians and cyclists wearing hi-vis is insufficient to make walking or cycling on our roads safe. Your correspondent suggested that pedestrians should also observe the old rule of facing traffic so that they can “see what might hit you”. Not a bad idea.
There are a few important points that might also be relevant to your readers.
The Road Safety Authority has no evidence to support their claim that wearing hi-vis reduces accident rates for vulnerable road users in Ireland.
How do I know? A freedom of information request.
Seeing what is about to hit you might give you a chance to dive into the ditch. But it’s no use to cyclists unless they have eyes in the backs of their heads. And often no use to pedestrians anyway – the car still hits them. Often, there’s nowhere to dive to.
Safety on our roads depends on changes in the attitudes and behaviour of the people bringing the risk to the roads. That’s people driving heavy fast metal vehicles. Cars. Trucks. Vans.
Until the attitude and the law in Ireland go back to the old idea (still in the Rules of the Road) that you should be able to stop in the distance you can see, nothing else will make much difference.
The excuse of “They came out of nowhere” is still widely accepted. It should not be accepted. They didn’t come out of nowhere; they were there the whole time. But if you’re driving too fast you don’t see them until it’s too late. And someone ends up dead. Even if they were wearing hi-vis. – Yours, etc,
HUGH SHEEHY,
Dublin 4.